As an internet marketer I maintain several large mailing list and use them for marketing products and services. Mostly in the Identity Theft Niche and the Make Money Online Niche. One of the most critical parts of these online marketing properties is the list that is built around them and the email marketing that goes on behind the scenes versus the actual content that is displayed online.

Email marketing is a powerful tool if used properly, car dealers and vendors understand this. Of course I mystery shop dealers and vendors and watch the emails I receive for ideas and also see some examples of not what to do. One thing is clear is that you must have a call to action in every contact via email. It can be anything, try to get a phone call or a visit to the dealership or a links to a special promotion which also has a call to action.

But first you must have your prospects open your messages!!

I currently have access to Cobalt’s LMCC product as part of our online marketing package we receive for being a 5 Star Chrysler Dodge Dealer, but I do not use it any more than needed for us to maintain compliance with the 5 Star Program. The problem I have with the Cobalt LMCC is that the subject lines are prepended with a customer number.

A potential customer is not a number and relegating them to one in your opening line to them does not endear them to being receptive of your message. Also they do not allow you to change the from field to make it personally identifiable. A dealership has never sent an email message people do!!

As I was exploring options on a replacement I checked with several other vendors in the market place and went with AVV. In my research I contacted several vendors I looked at iMagic Labs and BZ Results as well. I do not think I will ever do business with iMagic Labs based on the interactions I had with their owner when I was researching their product.

Apparently BZ Results uses their own product to manage internet leads. Which is probably an adaptation of an open source product Sugar CRM. For them to be one of the leaders in the market for CRM and ILM solutions they sure do not get the deliverability part right. If you are going to send out html emails you need to send the out in “Multi Part MIME format” which basically sends out a text version or an email as well.

While open tracking and click through rates can only be tracked using html format it is still more important to get your message delivered versus tracking them 100%.

(click the image to see it full size if it does not display properly)

You will notice that a recent email that I received from them in a gmail account does not load the images unless I chose to allow them. What this could do for most consumers is cause them to hit the “Spam” button and permantly delete all emails that come in this poor html format and eventually will cause all emails sent from that domain to a gmail account to goto the spam folder thus alienating a portion of business for them and their customers.

The bold announcement of the message being “Permission Based Marketing” is typical of declarations that mass spammers use and their message does not comply with The CAN-SPAM Act. They do not include their Physical Postal Address which is a provision of the act.

Even when I set up our account with AVV they do not even mention that to their customers. I just wonder if the whole industry is out of compliance? What would be interesting to see is when a case does come forward where a dealership and a vendor are held accountable for not being in compliance if the industry will wake up. This is a huge liability and eventually some litigious minded consumer will nail someone to the wall if it has not already been done. Keep in mind I am not an attorney so this is not legal advice but if you will visit The CAN-SPAM Act it tells you exactly what you need to do to be in compliance.

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